Letterboxd redesign
2023 _ LA Blueprint
//Project Overview
As part of the onboarding process for LA Blueprint, our team embarked on a project to redesign the core user interaction screens of Letterboxd, a popular film discovery and logging app. Given Letterboxd's standing as a pivotal platform for movie enthusiasts to explore, rate, and review films, our focus was to refine these main screens to foster a more intuitive, engaging, and seamless user journey.
//Role
My primary responsibilities within this collaborative effort, included helping conduct user interviews, analyzing feedback for actionable insights, and contributing to the creation of both low-fidelity and high-fidelity designs.
As part of the onboarding process for LA Blueprint, our team embarked on a project to redesign the core user interaction screens of Letterboxd, a popular film discovery and logging app. Given Letterboxd's standing as a pivotal platform for movie enthusiasts to explore, rate, and review films, our focus was to refine these main screens to foster a more intuitive, engaging, and seamless user journey.
//Role
My primary responsibilities within this collaborative effort, included helping conduct user interviews, analyzing feedback for actionable insights, and contributing to the creation of both low-fidelity and high-fidelity designs.
//Problem
In our examination of Letterboxd's screens, we identified critical usability issues that potentially hinder the app's user experience. These challenges primarily revolve around the organization and accessibility of information, which are pivotal for user engagement/satisfaction. Our findings highlighted two main areas of concern:
In our examination of Letterboxd's screens, we identified critical usability issues that potentially hinder the app's user experience. These challenges primarily revolve around the organization and accessibility of information, which are pivotal for user engagement/satisfaction. Our findings highlighted two main areas of concern:
//Discoverability
Essential features such as movie reviewing, logging, and list management are not intuitively accessible, leading to user frustration and potential disengagement.
Essential features such as movie reviewing, logging, and list management are not intuitively accessible, leading to user frustration and potential disengagement.
//Organization
Information on movie pages is poorly structured--vital details like ratings, lists, and movie info presented in a cluttered manner, impeding user navigation.
Information on movie pages is poorly structured--vital details like ratings, lists, and movie info presented in a cluttered manner, impeding user navigation.
//User Research
We interviewed active Letterboxd users to directly understand their experiences, focusing on their usage patterns, preferences, and challenges. This direct engagement provided essential insights to guide our redesign.
We interviewed active Letterboxd users to directly understand their experiences, focusing on their usage patterns, preferences, and challenges. This direct engagement provided essential insights to guide our redesign.
We structured our interviews around a set of key questions:
> What are your primary goals when using Letterboxd?
> What are the most common actions you use Letterboxd for?
> Can you walk me through how you currently use Letterboxd to track your movie-watching activities?
> Can you describe the main features of Letterboxd that you find most valuable or frustrating in this process?
> If there was a magic wand, what would make the Letterboxd experience perfect?
from here, we synthesized a user persona that would guide our future design solutions for our redesign.
> What are your primary goals when using Letterboxd?
> What are the most common actions you use Letterboxd for?
> Can you walk me through how you currently use Letterboxd to track your movie-watching activities?
> Can you describe the main features of Letterboxd that you find most valuable or frustrating in this process?
> If there was a magic wand, what would make the Letterboxd experience perfect?
from here, we synthesized a user persona that would guide our future design solutions for our redesign.
//the average letterboxd user
Janice, a film enthusiast, uses Letterboxd to track her movie-watching habits, discover new films, and connect with fellow cinephiles. She struggles with the app’s complex interface and the hidden features, such as adding to watchlists or locating movie details. Janice wishes for a simpler, more intuitive Letterboxd experience that better supports her movie exploration and sharing activities.
Janice, a film enthusiast, uses Letterboxd to track her movie-watching habits, discover new films, and connect with fellow cinephiles. She struggles with the app’s complex interface and the hidden features, such as adding to watchlists or locating movie details. Janice wishes for a simpler, more intuitive Letterboxd experience that better supports her movie exploration and sharing activities.
“How can we create a Letterboxd interface that is more conducive to the app’s main goals and more clearly
segmented in terms of information?”
//Design Goals
//Discoverability
Distinct buttons for rating movie and adding to watchlist [core features]
Distinct buttons for rating movie and adding to watchlist [core features]
//Organization
Organized reviews section, cast/crew/details section, diminish excess information
Organized reviews section, cast/crew/details section, diminish excess information
//Ideation
Low-Fidelity Designs of our redesign of Letterboxd's main movie screen
Low-Fidelity Designs of our redesign of Letterboxd's main movie screen
//Final Design
Our final design solution for Letterboxd addresses the core challenges faced by our users, like Janice, by introducing a more intuitive and streamlined interface. Key improvements include:
Simplified Navigation: Direct access to core features for effortless movie logging and watchlist management.
Organized Layout: Clear separation of movie ratings, reviews, and details for quick information retrieval.
Improved Discoverability: Prominent display of key actions to encourage user interaction and engagement.
Our final design solution for Letterboxd addresses the core challenges faced by our users, like Janice, by introducing a more intuitive and streamlined interface. Key improvements include:
Simplified Navigation: Direct access to core features for effortless movie logging and watchlist management.
Organized Layout: Clear separation of movie ratings, reviews, and details for quick information retrieval.
Improved Discoverability: Prominent display of key actions to encourage user interaction and engagement.